Metatarsal pad



zmmss Nov. 12, 1935.

A. A. BILBREY ET AL METATARSAL PAD Filed June 6, 1934 Patented Nov. '12,1935 OFFICE- 2,020,395 METATARSAL PAD Albert A. Bilbrey and Moses '1).Vinyard, Salem reg., assignors to said Vinyard Application June ,6,1934, Serial No. 729,329

' 1 Claim. ,(01. 36-71) Our present invention relates to an improvedmetatarsal pad or cushion, designed especially for use. in womenshigh-heel shoes, and adapted to be embodied in the shoe as a feature ofits l1 constructionrduring the process of manufacture,

or, due to its simplicity in construction and assembly, the pad orcushion may readily be affixed for use by the wearer of the shoe.

The cushion or pad is fashioned from rubber, .10 rubber compositionmaterial, or other suitable resilient and elastic material appropriatefor the performance of its required functions.

As is Well known to those familiar with the use of high-heel shoes,gtheshank portion of the sole,

or the arch of the shoe, is necessarilysloped or inclined downwardlytoward the toe of the shoe, and a sharp bend or angle occurs between thesloping shank and the main portion of the sole of the shoe. Under suchconditions, the lower 0 portion of the arch of the foot is not onlyunsupported, but discomfort as well as serious deformities of themetatarsal arch, and of the toes of the foot, result.

By the utilization of our invention we provide a metatarsal pad orcushion-support, conforming to the shape of the shoe/and to the shape ofthe foot of the wearer of the shoe, and which is so constructed as toassure comfort, proper balance for the wearer and correct posture whilestanding or walking, and which, at the same time permits coordination inthe functions of all of the muscles of the foot, thereby maintaining thenormal healthy condition of the foot, and preventing deformities.

As a relief forthe victim of a fallen arch, our pad or cushion-supportis especially designed to adequately support the fallen arch, andrelieve the abnormal strains that would otherwise be imposed upon thedefective arch, and at the same time the presence of the pad enables themuscles to properly exercise their functions, thus restoring the foot toits normal healthy condition.

Our invention consists in certain novel combi- 4 nations andarrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth andclaimed. In a shoe, with the shank and sole of the shoe in section, andshowing also the relation of the pad to the shank and sole of the shoe.

Figure 3 is a rear or bottom face view of the pad.

Figure 4 is an edge View of the pad.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the pad, as at line 55 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a front or top face view of the pad.

In order that the general arrangement and re- 10 lation of parts mayreadily be understood, we have shown in Figures 1 and 2 the typicalhighheel womans shoe, of which the heel is designated H, the main partof the shoe-sole as S,

- the downwardly inclined or sloping shank or arch l5 portion S, and thesharp angle or bend usually occurring between the arch and the main soleof the shoe is designated A.

The metatarsal pad or cushion-support, as indicated, approximates anoval-shape, with the :0 narrow or apex portion I at the top or rear edgeof the cushion, and the side edges 3 and 4 of the pad'flare outwardlyand downwardly to the widened and rounded base 5 of the pad, thusconforming to the shape of the arch or shank S of 26 the shoe and to therear portion of the flat sole of the shoe.

The pad is fashioned with a thin fin or continuous edge 6 that taperssubstantially to zero thickness at its periphery, in order that the con-30 tinuous edge of the pad may merge with the face of that portion ofthe shoe on which the pad rests, when in place.

The front, or upper face 1 of the pad as shown is normally slightlyconvex, the maximum de- 35 gree of convexity occurring near the bottomportion of the pad, while the rear or bottom face of the pad isfashioned with an oval-shaped lobe or projection 8 having a convex facethat merges with the surrounding portion of the front face of 40 thepad.

In attaching the pad to the shank or arch and to a portion of the flatmain sole portion of the shoe, as at C in Figure 2, we preferably employa suitable cement to afiix'the rear or bottom face of the pad to theinsole of the shoe, including the faces of the bend or angle portion A.

The resilient and elastic lobe 8 on the rear or 7 under side of the pad,readily lends itself to the necessary adjustment for filling the angleor bend A, and the resiliency of the material permits the pad to beadjusted to and affixed to the shoe, so that when the cement has set,the pad is securely attached to the shoe.

We find by test that the pad as thus cemented to the shoe provides adurable support forming an element of the shoe, and that while thecemented face of the pad remains at all timesrigidly aflixed to theshoe, the body of the pad, because of its resilience, readily conformsto the natural formation of the foot. This faculty of the resilientmaterial in adjusting theformation of the lobe with respect to the underor bottom face and the upper or top face of the pad, also insures thatthe front or upper face of the pad will at all times be smooth, even,and without wrinkles, and this smooth front face provides a continuationof the normal true and natural lines between the shank and the main soleportion of the shoe, as well as with the heel portion of the shoe, asindicated in Figure 2.

Because of the presence of this smooth, unwrinkled, upper or wear-faceof the pad, the whole of the under portion of the foot is supported incomfort, and has a normal bearing or load on the shoe, which permits thefree exercise of the normal functions of the various parts of the foot.

It will be understood that the pads are fashioned in various sizes tofit different sizes of soft rubber having on its lower face a thincontinuous attaching edge portion of substantial width and tapering to aperiphery of substantially zero thickness, a convex oval-shaped,extended lobe on the under side of the pad having a maximum thicknessbelow the transverse center line of the pad and merging with the innerboundary of the continuous edge portion of the pad, and a smoothcontinuous convex face on the upper side of the pad, whereby the lobeunder the weight of the wearer is fitted snugly into the angle betweenthe shank and sole of the shoe and the upper face of the pad maintainsits convexity.

ALBERT A. BILBREY. MOSES D. VINYARD.

